New for review are two pairs of Hi-Tec, 3-season mountain walking boots: one leather, one fabric.
Just in for reviews are two pairs of proper three-season walking boots
from
Hi-Tec.
The company's best known for its lightweight footwear, but the
Rainier eVent leather
boot and its fabric-uppered cousin, the
Cascadia eVent WPI
are full-on mountain walking boots with added input from the
lightweight trail-running range.
The
Cascadia
is arguably the more interesting of the two boots. It has a waterproof,
ballistic Nylon upper with seamless construction, on top of that
there's a waterproof eVent liner and just to make doubly sure, the
whole boot is treated with Hi-Tec's innovative Ion Mask for maximum
water shedding.
Sole unit is a familiar Vibram-branded one which is exclusive to
Hi-Tec, and the mid-sole uses six densities of PU and EVA for
cushioning
designed to be matched to pressure points on the sole. There's also a
TPU heel locking system, designed to hold your heel firmly in place.
A big rubber toe bumper keeps protects the front of the boot from
abrasion and the lace hardware has a real feel of quality to it. Price
is
£120,
internal volume is generous and should suit wider UK feet well and
despite the chunky looks, a pair of size 43 weighs a reasonable 1490
grammes on our digital scales.
The
Rainier,
with its waterproof - it says here - full grain leather upper, is
substantially heavier at 1630 grammes per pair, but arguably feels more
substantial as a result. Like the Cascadia it has a full Vibram sole
unit and the same multi-density cushioned mid-sole and rubber
toe bumper.
Finally it uses the same basic upper design and lace hardware and an
eVent waterproof / breathable liner. There's no Ion Mask treatment
though.
Both boots feel decently laterally stiff, but still flexible enough for
walking comfort lengthways. Definitely a bit of a departure for Hi-Tec
and we're looking forward to using them out on the hill. We'd view them
as a below the snowline boot by the way, though you could probably use
a flexible trekking crampon with them for short periods if necessary.
More Hi-Tec information at
www.hi-tec.com.
